


A Little Tender Loving Care

by Okadiah



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Venom (Movie 2018)
Genre: Bodysharing, Chocolate and Tater Tots, Every chapter's a different prompt, Fire, M/M, Massage, One Shot Collection, Post-Canon, Sick Venom, Sleep, movies - Freeform, video games - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2019-07-28 07:38:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16237130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Okadiah/pseuds/Okadiah
Summary: A series of stories exploring the growing relationship between Eddie and Venom, and the care they learn to show each other as they adapt to their new situations and the fact there's no more 'me' between them. Only we.





	1. Massage

**Author's Note:**

> As much as I wanted this story to take more of a naughty turn - and with all the potential in this fic it could have - it somehow managed to stay a touch steamy but tame. I'm hoping to add more stories to this, so maybe it'll pick up more as we go? Who knows, lol.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been a long yet satisfying day, and Eddie off-handedly mentions that a massage would be a perfect way to end it. Venom decides to give his host what he wants.

Eddie enjoyed his work, now that he had work again. Work that paid. Going out into the world, finding the truth no matter where it led him and sharing it with the rest of the world … it made a difference. _He_ made a difference. Even before Venom, that was all he'd wanted. To expose the corrupt. To help those who needed help. That was why he was a reporter. That was who he was and what he did.

That hadn't changed now that he had Venom along like a permanent shadow, in his thoughts and in his body. Someone to watch his back. Someone to help him do that good, even if Eddie was the linchpin in the alien’s evaluation of what was considered good or not.

In a lot of ways, the symbiote made the work easier. There was no denying that the knowledge that he was pretty much invulnerable and invincible in the right circumstances left him relieved. He never had to worry about being mugged again, and that was nothing to say about if he got into some trouble with someone who decided it was time to level a gun at him.

In other ways, however, it was most definitely _not_ easier. Not with Venom adding constant commentary while he interviewed a source. Not with Venom sometimes overriding Eddie's control to plant them in the middle of a robbery because he was hungry. Not with Venom getting them into worse situations than that simply because he was bored, the alien swearing up and down that it was purely for the sake of Eddie’s work.

Eddie knew better, and Venom knew he knew better. Eddie couldn't say anything though. Didn't, even though maybe he should. Venom's power was heady, and even he wanted to stretch his legs with more than interviews these days. To feel the rush. To move.

Today had been one such day, where he'd tailed someone and bitten off more than he'd planned for. Venom had been elated, and Eddie really hadn't minded the rampage which had followed in the warehouse. It was fun in its own way, once he looked past the head-eating. The women who'd been imprisoned there were saved and freed. He'd been shot at, but nothing Venom hadn't immediately been able to fix. It had been good, and he'd entered his – their – apartment generally proud, comfortable, and sated with the day’s work, before collapsing onto the bed.

**_It was a good day,_** Venom agreed, curling at the back of his mind, equally pleased. **_We hope it will be that way tomorrow as well. Every day should be like today._**

"I don't know about that, buddy," Eddie sighed. "Maybe not _every_ day."

**Every _day, Eddie. We know you enjoyed it._**

"You know what I would enjoy?" Eddie said as he stretched his arms high above him, relishing the long pull of his muscles. "After a day like this, you know what I'd do if I could manage it? A massage."

Venom sent a wave of interest and curiosity his way. **_A massage?_**

"Yeah, man." Eddie thought about the massages he'd received in his life, aware that Venom would see them as well. "I used to go to this one place in New York. There was a masseuse there who could get every kink out. Magic hands, I swear. Felt like my muscles were new."

**_And Anne did it for you when you moved here,_** Venom said.

Eddie nodded. It was one of those little things that had meant so much to him in their relationship. It was tactile and intimate, close to sex but not quite. Not so much lust-driven, but love-driven, though it had certainly taken its turn toward lust more than a few times.

Much as he missed that sort of fun, he didn’t need it, not right now, and especially not with Venom riding along. Just a simple back rub would’ve been heaven. He sighed.

"It's indulgent, I know, but if I had just a little more spending money, I'd go. It would be great."

**_We could do it for you, Eddie._ **

Eddie's eyes opened in surprise.

"What?"

**_A massage,_** Venom replied, and from under his skin, Eddie felt Venom rising from the depths of his being. Darkness beaded along his skin as a black tentacle manifested. **_We could give it to you._** A ripple flowed from the bottom of Eddie's back slowly all the way up to his shoulders, and a groan slipped out of his mouth. **_Turn over._**

“I don’t know,” Eddie said, eying the tentacle that had whipped a man nearly in half earlier. “It can be easy to fuck up, and you’re not exactly Mr. Gentle.”

**_Would never hurt you, Eddie,_** Venom replied. **_Turn over._**

Bemused but curious, Eddie slowly flipped onto his belly after he'd stripped off his shirt. He reached for his flat pillow and bundled it under his head, curling his arms around it.

"So, you know how to massage?"

**_We know you, Eddie,_** the symbiote replied as warm, firm, slick waves of motion eased their way up his back again, hitting every single muscle with a steady, lingering pressure before smoothing out and moving on. **_Everything about you. Every fiber of your being. We know what hurts,_** the alien pressure applied itself to a persistent knot right at the top of his shoulder and Eddie grunted at the blunt pain which streaked through it. **_And we know what feels good._** The pressure lifted and the long, drawn-out groan of pleasure which followed was almost obscene.

A blush stung Eddie's cheeks. Even knowing there was no way to avoid it, even with the mounting number of humiliating situations he had endured already while acutely aware that Venom was there and watching, he hadn’t quite gotten used to it. To the blatant intimacy. To the fact that he couldn’t hide. Not his pain. Not his shame. Not his pleasure.

Venom chuckled knowingly.

"Oh, shut up."

**_Didn't say anything, Eddie._ **

"Uh-huh, yeah, totally convinced—" Eddie's sentence cut off as he buried his face in the pillow to stifle yet another moan of ecstasy as Venom worked not only the knot at his shoulder, but several others at the same time. The alien undulated across them, thick tentacles lifting out of his skin to roll and kneed each in a steady rotation, one right after the other with no break between them. It made Eddie's toes curl and his eyes roll.

**_We like this,_** Venom said smugly within his mind as the alien worked its way up Eddie's neck. It felt better than hands and fingers ever could. Venom wasn't just working his muscles from the surface of his skin, he was deep down too, in the depths of Eddie’s muscles that not even the most skilled masseuse had ever been able to reach. **_It feels good, Eddie._**

Eddie could only moan in agreement. The symbiote was everywhere, flowing over his back and shoulders. Up his neck, down his legs, along his arms. Each tendon was catered to and soothed, every joint checked and eased in a way he knew no person had ever experienced before in the history of mankind. As he let the alien work, he happily allowed himself turn into a pliant pile of flesh, tensionless and warm, filled with nothing but relieved pleasure and a weight that clung to his bones and dragged him down like gravity. This was great. He never wanted to get up.

"You are _really_ good at that," Eddie mumbled into his pillow, eyes heavy. The ripples and motions Venom had used to work his muscles were slowing, coming to an inevitable close, but instead of sinking back into his body like the symbiote usually did, it lingered atop his skin like a glistening, black, weighted blanket. It was warm and grounding in this unexpected state of bliss.

Pretty perfect, actually.

Fatigue dragged at his brain, but he still heard Venom's deep rumble of a voice as it rolled through his thoughts, enclosing around him there as well.

**_Will take care of you, Eddie. You're mine._ **

"You know," Eddie said between a yawn. "Most don't like that. Possessiveness. Especially from their parasite."

A growl curled through Eddie’s mind. Venom tightened around his body.

**_Not a parasite._ **

"Right, sorry. My bad."

**_You like it._ **

Well, he had liked the constriction, if he was being completely honest with himself, which was easier to do now that he was relaxed and tired.

**_Not that,_** Venom whispered. **_You like that you're mine._**

"Wouldn't be too sure about that, pal," Eddie slurred with a contented smile, unwilling to let Venom get to him. "And it's impolite to read minds."

Another low chuckle slipped from Venom into Eddie, and it sounded so nice and it felt so good.

**_Tell yourself what you like, Eddie. We’re patient. We can wait._ **

"Liar," Eddie yawned again, getting comfortable and shifting onto his side. Venom shifted with him, a living blanket. He curled a hand into the warmth, pulling it tighter as he teetered on the cusp of sleep. "If you were patient, we wouldn't be getting us into fights every other day."

Venom constricted around him again, cocooning him.

**_You like that too._ **

He gave his symbiote a huff of amusement before he let the darkness in. Maybe Venom was right. Maybe he did.

And in his sleep-fogged mind he thought that maybe, just maybe, Venom might be right about other things too.


	2. Chocolate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During game night, Eddie gets a call from Dan and finds out why Venom has such a sweet tooth for chocolate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I decided to continue this series after all, so here we are. The second installment. I really enjoyed the Venom comic's arc 'The Hunger' which explores the symbiote's need for chocolate, and I kinda just applied it here in a fun environment to movie!Eddie and his goo.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you like it. Enjoy!

Since settling into their new, shared life and all the intricacies it entailed, one of the first things Eddie had quickly enforced was a need for boundaries. Me-time versus we-time, for the both of them, and it manifested in a lot of different ways. During bathroom breaks, Venom was _not_ allowed to bother him, and during the times Venom decided he was hungry enough to eat, well, _anything_ , Eddie was not allowed to complain, especially when they were masked and the people they were facing were deeply located in the ‘bad’ category. Compromises were important because like it or not, they were a _we_.

And one of their compromises had been time. Specifically free time. Free time between them where one or the other got to decide what they did for fun, and the other either joined in or sat along for the ride.

Tonight was one of Venom's nights, and contrary to what Eddie had thought would be on the alien's list of priorities, they were not currently prowling the shadier streets of San Francisco like usual and were instead in his apartment.

"Really?" Eddie had asked incredulously when Venom made his decision. "I mean, not that I mind, but … really?"

**_Yes, Eddie,_** Venom replied. **_We’re playing your video games and I'm going to beat your ass at them. Yours and everyone else’s online who chooses to fight me. I'll prove how much better I am than all of you humans._**

"Oh, in that case, you're on, pal," he'd replied because he wasn't going to sit around and let a mass of alien goo show him up if he could help it.

**_And then we will do team challenges to prove_ ** **we _are the best._**

It was a surprising but interesting turn, and frankly it seemed like a good team-building exercise. It wasn’t that they were terrible working together or anything like that, but they were still learning each other and it was likely they’d be bonded together for the foreseeable future. Any little bit helped, he guessed. Eddie was actually a little impressed by Venom's idea.

And so, here they were, on the couch crowded in front of the TV, each with a controller in hand. Venom had seeped out of his body enough to form a head and two hand-like appendages which Eddie already warned had better not break the controller, given how expensive it was. As they got sucked into the gaming, both intent on beating the other, they kept nudging and shoving elbows like conjoined twins, pausing only long enough to snatch up a quick snack of either tater tots or the bounty of chocolate Venom had insisted on.

Eddie snarled as he studied his side of the screen, rapidly pressing buttons, guiding his player along. Beside him Venom snickered with glee.

"No, no, no!"

**"Face it, Eddie,"** Venom said smugly as he got yet another headshot on him. **"I'm better than you."**

"You're cheating," Eddie shot back. "I don't have fifteen tentacles able to hit every button at the same time." Gripping his controller in his palms, he lifted his thumbs and forefingers and scowled. "I've only got these!"

**"Use what you've got."** Venom grinned. Eddie's eyes narrowed.

"Oh, that's the way you wanna play it?"

**"I knew you were slow, but not that slow."**

"Oh, it's on now."

**"Bring it, Brock."**

They started another round, fighting each other furiously as the sounds of gunfire, explosions, and game chatter wafted toward them from the speakers. Eddie was doing pretty good this time with a decent lead and an almost perfect line of fire on Venom's character. He'd make the symbiote eat his words.

Next to Eddie's thigh his phone vibrated, and caught up in the game, Eddie mindlessly scrambled for it and quickly answered. He pinned it between his ear and his shoulder as he prepared to take Venom down.

"Hello?"

"Eddie?" a familiar voice said, and Eddie inwardly kicked himself for not checking the caller ID before answering. "It's Dan."

"Oh hey, Dan," Eddie said with whatever enthusiasm he could muster, mentally telling Venom to keep quiet since the last thing he wanted was Anne's boyfriend to find out the symbiote was still alive, let alone tell Anne himself. "What's up? I hadn't expected a call from you. Is everything all right? Anne okay?"

"Hey, Eddie," Dan said as Eddie half-listened while he hunted Venom on the screen, intent on evening the score. "Anne's good, and everything's fine here. I'm actually calling to talk about you, medically speaking. About your lab results. You know, from after, uh, the incident."

"After Venom, got it."

"Yes," Dan replied a little uneasily. "Well, I've been trying to contact you for a few weeks about them."

"Been kinda busy," Eddie replied, button mashing as fast as he could before groaning when Venom turned the tides and got him again. Within his mind Venom roared with laughter.

"Have I called at a bad time?"

"No, no," Eddie replied. "Just, uh, give me a second."

Eddie tossed the controller down on the sofa before snatching up a handful of tots and glowering at Venom who used the opportunity to swipe up several candies as well. If there was one thing Eddie had learned in their time together, it was that Venom was the biggest chocoholic he’d ever met. The symbiote seemed intent sometimes on cramming as much into his massive mouth as he could get away with.

_This isn't over._

The symbiote had the gall to stick his obscenely long tongue at him before he started a single-player game, attention once again focused. Eddie leaned against the kitchen island and chewed on a tot, adjusting the phone against his ear. He should've looked at the caller ID before picking up, but now that Anne's boyfriend was on the line, he couldn't exactly hang up on him without getting some backlash from Anne herself.

And really, he kinda liked Dan. All things considered, he'd taken the whole Drake fiasco like a champ. It was the least he could do.

"Sorry about that,” Eddie said. “So, my labs?"

"Yes, your labs. For the most part they came back pretty well. It seems without that parasite, your body was recovering, so that's good news."

On reflex Eddie glanced at Venom, waiting for the alien to explode at the p-word, but it seemed he was too distracted to pay much attention to what Eddie was currently experiencing. That was something Eddie himself was still adjusting to. Although he was here, facing away from the screen and not playing, there was a part of him – the Venom part – that was still playing. He could feel all of Venom’s emotions, decisions, actions like static at his back. If he focused, he'd share in Venom's experience, just like Venom could share in his.

But Venom didn't respond, and really, that was probably for the best.

"Yeah, great news, thanks Dan," Eddie said. "That all?"

"Actually, no. There's something else," the doctor said. "Although, frankly given the amount of time it's been and the fact that you're not experiencing bouts of massive depression—"

Dan gave Eddie time to reply to the contrary. Eddie ate a tater tot.

"—it's probably nothing. But where the rest of your labs came back fairly normal, one didn't."

"And what's that?"

"Your phenethylamine levels were very low. About as low as they were when you had your parasite."

Again Eddie glanced at Venom. Venom, thankfully, appeared focused on his ever-growing kill streak.

"Phenethylamine?" Eddie prompted. "Can't say I know what that is."

"It's a neurotransmitter. In short, it's something the brain creates to help produce hormones like serotonin and dopamine. Hormones that make you feel happy."

"Happy, huh? And you say the levels were low?” Eddie huffed a laugh. “You know, things hadn't been too hot for me back then. That wouldn't really be surprising."

"Regular depression wouldn't result in numbers this low, and I checked your medical records. You usually have normal levels. The only conclusion is that your parasite—"

This time Eddie felt Venom's attention snag. The alien's eyes pulled away from the screen to slowly glower at Eddie as he tuned into the conversation. Eddie shrugged at the symbiote. It wasn’t him who’d said the p-word.

"—was somehow affecting them."

Eddie could feel Venom shifting through his recent memories, coming to speed on the conversation, but he didn't say anything. Not yet, at least.

"So … what, then?" Eddie asked. "Even if it was Venom, he's gone. I'm sure Anne told you that."

"Yes, but we took your labs several days after the ordeal, remember? In that amount of time we should have seen some rise in the numbers, but they were still the same, which is why I've been trying to contact you. I'm sure it'll amount to nothing – you sound like you're doing fine – but I'd like you to come in to do another round of labs just to be sure. Just to be cautious. No one's ever been in your situation, let alone survived. It's better to make sure you aren’t suffering any lasting effects."

Lasting effects. That was one way of defining the fact that he was now the permanent host to an alien goo. Only he couldn't let Dan or anyone know that, and that meant any further labs or hospital visits were way out of the question.

"Yeah, listen," Eddie said. "I'm really busy right now, and I don't know when I'm going to have the time to come in for another set of labs. But you said earlier that I must be fine since I'm not curled up somewhere feeling horrible or anything like that. I probably just leveled out."

"That's likely, but—"

"Before I go," Eddie said, "in case I do drop off and need to come in for those labs again, what sort of things is phenethylamine found in?"

"Generally speaking?" Dan replied, doing what he could to keep up with the conversation. "The human brain generates a lot of it."

"Brains, huh?" Eddie said uneasily as he thought of all the heads Venom insisted on consuming. "I, uh, can't exactly eat brains you know. Anything else?"

"It could be synthesized of course, but believe it or not, chocolate is a good source of phenethylamine."

Eddie eyed the spread of chocolate on the table, thought about the taste in chocolate he'd developed lately and all the chocolate he'd been eating as a response to that.

"Chocolate?" Eddie said. "I _had_ wondered why I'd craved it a lot afterward."

"You did?" Dan asked. "That's good and actually not unusual. The human body knows what it needs, even if we don't consciously know it, which is often why we have cravings at all. So, you had chocolate cravings. Were you ever a chocolate lover?"

"No more than anyone else," Eddie replied.

"I see. Did the craving go away?"

Eddie made a face. "More or less."

"Good. That's good. It's evidence to support that that thing—"

**_I am not a thing,_** Venom said petulantly.

"—was what caused the drop, especially if you're better now."

"Yep. Seems like," Eddie agreed, sensing that it was only a matter of time before Venom felt the need to respond himself. "Anyway, I've gotta go. Thanks for checking in with me. I appreciate it, Dan."

"Yeah, no problem, I—"

"Tell Anne I say hi. Thanks again, talk to you later."

Eddie hit the end button before Dan could keep going. Venom pouted.

**"I still don't see what Anne sees in him. We are better."**

"We may not like it, but it _is_ Anne's life. And really, he didn't need to do that you know. Personally call to check on me and make sure I understood what my lab results meant. I may not like that he’s dating Anne, but Dan _is_ a good guy."

Venom gave a toothy frown. **"It's only because of that that we don't eat him. We could. But we won't."**

"You're absolutely right, we won't. Anne would kill us if we did." He eyed Venom. "On that note, so I guess you need this phenethylamine, huh?" Eddie said. "Did you know?"

**"I'm not a chemist, Eddie,"** Venom replied. **"I follow my hunger and eat what satisfies me."**

"And the heads we eat … satisfy you?"

**"Satisfies _us_ ,"** Venom agreed. **"But so does the chocolate. Dan is right."**

"Out of curiosity, what, uh, might happen if we didn't get enough phenethylamine?"

Venom's strange face neared his, his tongue lolling out as he spoke, sharp teeth gleaming in the light. **"The hunger would consume us both, Eddie. We would not think about who or what we eat. We would simply … eat, until the craving is satisfied."**

"So full on cannibals. Got it," Eddie said, sucking in a deep breath and puffing his cheeks out as he released it. "Okay, chocolate's about to become a staple in this house." He eyed the wrappers in the trash and the various chocolate containers around the kitchen. "As if it wasn't already, now that I'm looking. It's a little late to be asking, I know, but you got any other dietary restrictions I need to know about?"

**"Not particularly. Your tastes have already adjusted to our needs. If something were missing in our diet, we would know by now."**

"I guess you're right," Eddie admitted. "Still good to know now. It could've been bad if we didn't know and went without chocolate for a while. Mrs. Chen is going to love us. We're going to make her so much money. As enterprising as she is, it wouldn't surprise me if she decided to change over to a chocolate shop."

Venom's head lifted in delight.

**"Would she?"**

"You know what, no," Eddie replied, dropping back on the sofa to take up his controller again.

**"But she could. She likes us, Eddie. We could talk to her."**

"We are doing just fine with bags of Hershey kisses and tubs of chocolate ice cream."

**"We could have more."**

"Now that's just indulgent. We are perfectly fine."

**"But Eddie—"**

Eddie moved through the game menu, ignoring the alien's pleadings before settling on a team match.

"You gonna join, or what? I thought we were going to team up and dominate the competition, or are you too busy whining?" Eddie reached for a piece of chocolate and popped it in his mouth, savoring it now that he knew how important it was to the alien's wellbeing. "And if you don't hurry, I might just eat all of these chocolates myself."

**"You wouldn't!"**

Eddie arched his eyebrows and grinned as he ate another piece, nice and slow. Venom surged back to his spot, tentacles flowing out to latch onto the controller as another larger one curled around the chocolates and moved them across the coffee table and out of reach.

**"They're mine, Eddie."**

"I paid for them, I say they're mine," Eddie replied, shoving over Venom to get at a few more as the game's countdown began. The symbiote shifted and flowed, heaving Eddie off and holding him away, but it was too much fun to give up now, and he was definitely immature enough to start a wrestling match with the goo.

**"But I need them, Eddie,"** Venom said. **"Remember what Dan said? Doctor's orders."**

"There are thirty pieces there. You don't need every one of them."

**"I do."**

"You don't."

**"I do."**

"We do," Eddie corrected as he stretched and snatched up a final piece before shoving it in his mouth, chewing quickly before swallowing it. The countdown ended and the screen changed, signaling the start. Eddie smirked. "And now we have a game to win."

**"This isn't over."**

Eddie didn't think it was, and now that he knew it was important to Venom's wellbeing it would never be. But Eddie found he wasn't bothered by it. In fact, he was relieved, especially if a little chocolate was all it took to keep Venom like this and not a man-eating monster.

**"I'm going to get more kills than you, Eddie."**

Eddie snorted, pulling himself from his thoughts to once again focus on the game. It was Venom's night after all, and they were supposed to have fun together. And he was surprisingly more than happy to do it.

"The hell you are," he said, gripping his controller and settling for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can follow me for more of my Venom content on [my tumblr](https://symbrock-darling.tumblr.com/). I'm taking prompt requests there too, so if you have one, feel free to send an ask!


	3. Sick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Eddie wakes up feeling strange, he realizes that he's not the only one who can get sick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Continuing with the general 'care' theme I've got going, I just *couldn't* bypass a chance to see how Eddie might react to a sick-ish Venom. In truth, I'm not sure the Venom Symbiote *can* get sick, but shhhh. The story's pretty cute. Let's not evoke strict canon.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

Eddie woke up feeling peculiar.

It wasn't that he'd slept bad or anything. That was distinctive with it's dry, irritated eyes, headache, and general listlessness only the blackest of coffees could cure. He lay in bed trying to figure out if it was because of something he'd done the day before. Or maybe something he'd eaten or drank. Something that would explain why he felt like … this. Off, somehow.

He didn't even know how to describe what he was feeling.

Whatever it was, he couldn’t quite pin it down, and without a clear grip on what it was, he tried to ignore it. Eddie got up from bed and combed his hair and brushed his teeth, and all the while he couldn’t help but study himself. Stare at himself in the mirror as if that would somehow tell him what was different about today. He looked like himself. He wasn't red-eyed and bloodshot, or even white-eyed and alien for that matter. He could walk in a straight line and he could do basically everything he usually did.

Except, he realized, that some part of him felt sluggish. Weighed down.

It was after he finished his breakfast and was organizing himself for the day that he noticed Venom hadn't said a thing yet, when it often seemed like the symbiote lived to provide shitty commentary to his life.

"It's not like you to be so quiet," Eddie said, pausing to focus his mind on Venom and that strange place within him that the alien had made his home. "Have a late night or something?"

Silence met him and Eddie's brow furrowed. He stopped moving, concerned by the strange behavior.

"Venom?"

**_Hmm?_ **

The symbiote shifted within Eddie's being, the sensation familiar now, but the quality to Venom's movements was slightly different. Usually Venom felt like a buzz around his body. A hum deep in his muscles, but it was always filled with energy, almost boundless energy. Often it was Venom who could give Eddie that energy boost when he was starting to feel low. The alien's nature improved Eddie as Venom's host and did incredible things.

But right now that energy felt low. Lethargic. Not non-existent like it had after Drake's spaceship had gone up in flames and almost taken Venom with it, and Venom had rested within Eddie until he'd been strong enough to rise again. The sudden change in Venom's energy was worrying. A bit disturbing.

"You okay, buddy?" Eddie asked, taking a seat as he waited for that phantom presence to change. To become more like itself. "You feel a little different today. Is something wrong?"

**_Don't know, Eddie,_** Venom replied, his powerful growling voice little more than a low roll. **_Been feeling strange since yesterday. Your biochemistry started changing a few days ago and we've adjusted to handle it, but this morning ..._** The feel of Venom in his body seemed to grow heavier, as if deeply fatigued. **_We're so tired._**

"You've gotta give me more than that," Eddie said, concerned because it wasn't like if something was wrong with Venom he could go to Dan and ask what his professional medical opinion on what the wellbeing and care of an alien symbiote was. "When did you notice the change in my body?"

**_After you interviewed that child the other day,_** Venom said.

"I interviewed a lot of kids the other day."

**_One of them, then. Or all of them. I don't know, but it happened after the interview. You touched something or breathed something. It started then._ **

"And you didn't say anything?"

**_There was no point. I handled it like I always do. But then_ ** **this _happened._**

Eddie was about to ask what Venom meant but got caught on a memory the symbiote pushed to the front of his mind. It was a little boy with a red nose, tired eyes, and a cough. He looked sick, and Eddie vaguely remembered thinking that when he'd been talking to him.

He'd been sick.

Oh.

"You're kidding me," Eddie said, realizing with an explosion of surprise what this was. "You're sick?"

**_Sick?_** Venom shifted in Eddie's mind, considering the possibility, and it was the most active Eddie had felt him all morning. **_I suppose that could be the case. I can't say I've ever been sick before._**

"I can’t believe it," Eddie said. "How come you're sick and I'm not? If anyone should be sick, it should be me."

**_My being enhances us, Eddie. Protects us,_** Venom explained. **_The wellbeing of your body and its physical health is my responsibility since I can fix us. This shouldn't have happened, however._**

"Well, it's not like you've ever dealt with a human host before," Eddie murmured to himself, and maybe that made some sense. They were bonded, and as the symbiote, Venom worked to keep Eddie in prime condition. After all, he should have broken bones and bullets riddling his entire body. Eddie hadn't given it a lot of thought, but he guessed he'd assumed that things like sicknesses would be the same too. "I'm surprised you haven't gotten sick earlier than this, then. There're a lot of viruses and diseases and bacteria out there, and it's not like I'm shying away from them or anything. My immune system's good, but it's not perfect."

**_Usually_ ** **_this isn't a problem. I've dealt with such microbes before. There have been many times since we bonded when you could have been sick, but we prevented it._ **

"Then what's different this time?"

**_Unsure, Eddie._ **

That still wasn't the best answer, but it gave him a start to work with.

"What are your symptoms?"

**_Mine will always be different from yours,_** Venom replied. **_But would it be helpful if I told you what symptoms you would have developed if I had not intervened?_**

"Yes. Do that," Eddie said. "That'll help."

**_Nasal congestion. Coughing. Sneezing. Fatigue._** The symbiote seemed to grow heavier with the word. **_Sore throat. Perhaps a fever if it went on long enough._**

As Venom listed off the symptoms, Eddie slowly began piecing together the most reasonable explanation, and as he remembered that interview with the kid, it clicked. His brow shot up in surprise.

"Venom, I think you have a cold."

Silence slipped through their shared minds before Venom said, ** _A cold?_**

"Yeah, the common cold," Eddie explained. "Human’s get them all the time when the seasons start changing. No one's really been able to find a cure for it."

Blackness beaded within his hands where he cupped them until a small pile of goo with small white eyes peered up at him, tired but clearly concerned.

**_Will it kill us?_ **

The gravity with which Venom asked this question as he stared at Eddie was too much. Eddie laughed. He couldn't help it, nor could he help the wave of relief which swept through him that this was all it was. Venom glowered, but Eddie didn't care.

"No, it won't kill us. Or it shouldn't anyway. I’ve had plenty of them before and it’s never killed me. Hopefully, since you’re connected to my biology, nothing worse than this will happen." Eddie leaned back, curious as he tilted the symbiote in his hands, checking Venom as best he could now that he'd manifested like this. "Are you feeling congested or anything like that? I don't know what else might be wrong with you, but it seems like you got the fatigue at least."

The alien wilted in his hands, leaning back against Eddie’s fingers as if he was having trouble staying upright and keeping his shape.

**_Just the fatigue, Eddie. I'm trying to keep it away from you, but we are very tired. Won't be very active today._ **

The quiet of the apartment settled between them, and Eddie looked at his sick symbiote and considered his options. Despite what Venom said, they were still connected, and Eddie realized _that_ was what he'd felt all morning. That thing he couldn't put his finger on. Venom's fatigue weighed on him, even though the alien was trying to hold it back. It left him strong enough to handle the day, that was true. He could go out and do his work, conduct what investigations he needed to make.

But Venom would be with him, and he'd be sick. The work wouldn't go as easy, and he could already sense that it would be a matter of time before he ran out of the available energy he had himself before he gave up and slunk into bed, the both of them drained. And since neither of them knew how the cold would run its course on the symbiote and they didn't exactly have anyone they could really turn to – no one who wouldn't scream or turn him in. Or tell Anne – he needed to play this safe.

There was really only one smart thing to do.

Decision made, he reached for his phone and dialed the network. His boss picked up on the second ring.

"Eddie, it's early. This better be good."

"Probably not. Hey, listen. I'm not going to be able to do anything today. That's why I'm calling."

"What?"

"Yeah," Eddie said, eyeing the black goo in his hand and frowning. "I'm not feeling good today. Sick. Work's not gonna happen."

"You can't be serious," his boss said. "Eddie, we need that story covered."

"Then find someone else to do it," Eddie replied, maybe a little more strongly than he should have. But he couldn’t help the protectiveness he felt that his boss was still trying to push him when he _needed_ to take care of Venom. "It's a cold or something, but it's got me good. I'll be back in a day or two."

"Just take some medicine or something. You'll be fine. Come on, Eddie."

Although the thought had crossed his mind, he wasn't entirely sure how medicine would work with the symbiote, and for now he didn't want to risk it. Venom shifted in his hands.

**_Work, Eddie,_** Venom said, looking up at him again. **_We will be fine._**

"Nah-ah," Eddie said to the both of them. "Sorry, but not today. Better not to risk it."

A sigh came from his phone. Venom rested against his palm where both stubborn indignation and even quieter relief drifted away from the alien and into him, telling the truth.

"Well, all right," his boss said. "Get some rest. We'll talk later."

**_You didn't need to do that,_** Venom said after he hung up. **_We are strong enough._**

"Nope," Eddie said, kicking off his shoes and settling on the couch, reaching for a blanket. "This is our sick day, and we're taking it. Now share some of that fatigue. It’ll probably help us get over this faster."

**_But Eddie—_ **

"Do you want to feel better, or not? Because I know when I feel like shit like that, best thing to do is let it run its course or you feel like that longer."

Venom's white eyes squinted. **_Longer?_**

"That's right," Eddie said, getting comfortable. "If we don't take care of ourselves, we'll get worse. I don't want that to happen, and I doubt you do either."

**_No,_** Venom replied as he slowly settled against Eddie's skin. **_Don't want to feel this way any longer than necessary._**

"Then shut up and relax." He closed his eyes. "After all, this is my responsibility as your host, isn't it? Like you take care of me, I take care of you too. That's how this works, otherwise," Eddie grinned. "One of us is a parasite."

Venom growled. **_We are not parasites._**

"Then let's not be parasites," Eddie said, and as Venom sunk back into his skin, settling deep within his body, the feel of Venom’s fatigue strengthened, spreading to Eddie and weighing him down too. Despite sharing the sickness now, he was pleased with having won that argument.

Eddie put his hands behind his head and let himself drop in time with Venom into a heavy, restful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can follow me for more of my Venom content on [my tumblr](https://symbrock-darling.tumblr.com/). I'm taking prompt requests there too, so if you have one, feel free to send an ask!


	4. Movies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie and Venom go to the movies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right, I fully admit it. Venom: The Hunger comics heavily influenced several of the chapters in this collection, such as this one. I really loved the idea of Eddie and Venom going to the movies together, so I just had to do a take of it myself.
> 
> Also, I'm a huge sucker for host/symbiote hand-holding. 
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!

**_So, this is a movie,_** Venom said from within Eddie's mind as Eddie took his seat in the theater. It was packed, even though it was a week past opening night, and he felt lucky to have found the seat at all, even if it was about as far up as you could go and between a lady and her date on one side and a child on the other. **_It's boring, Eddie. Why watch a movie when we can_ do _the things they pretend to do?_**

_Because sometimes, pal, it's nice to just sit back and let yourself be entertained,_ Eddie replied telepathically. It had taken some serious practice and a lot of focus to get the hang of it, but he wasn't getting as many looks walking down the street when Venom decided he wanted to talk anymore. He still got some – Eddie rather liked talking out loud – but in a pinch or a situation which required a little more discretion, he managed. Eddie settled back more comfortably before reaching for his popcorn. _You'll see._

Venom grumbled but fell silent as the theater darkened. This was an action/thriller/horror combo, a popular one that had gotten some solid ratings, and after months abstaining, he thought – now that he had a steadier paycheck and tonight was his night to pick their fun – he could afford to live a little. Besides, although Venom was right and they could do everything the actors did even better on their own, after coming off a few of their own little 'action shots', he was happy to let others do it for a change.

Cocooned in the darkness, doing a normal, human thing for once around people he didn't know but didn't mind being around, his mind slipped into dissociated bliss. Like this, he could almost forget about the other being occupying his body and the changes which had occurred in his life. Venom was a silent spectator, and it was only the faint waft of emotion or change in energy which occasionally reminded him that he wasn't alone.

Not that it bothered him anymore.

Eddie hadn't been prepared for the romantic turn the story took. He'd come for the action. The adventure and thrill. As a general rule, he steered clear of anything that could vaguely be considered romance ever since Anne dumped him. He didn't want to see others in love when he'd had that and botched it. He didn't need the reminder that the woman he still loved was trying to move on from him, and she was doing a pretty good job of it even if he didn't _want_ her to do a good job of it.

Romance reminded him of everything he'd lost and might never get back. His chest ached, and he sighed as he waited patiently for the scene to end, staring off into the darkness while the lady beside him curled against her date.

That was when Venom moved.

He lifted within Eddie's mind where he'd sat silent, shifted under his skin enough that Eddie arched a brow, then restrained his alarm when the skin at the back of his hand dotted with black.

Alarmed, he mentally yelled. _What are you—?_

**_You're sad, Eddie,_** Venom said, the black shine of his body easing out ever so much, and for a moment Eddie panicked. This was a public place. Anyone and everyone would see Venom if he masked now – the people around him definitely would. This wasn't the place or time!

_Venom!_

**_Relax._ **

To his surprise, Venom didn't come out entirely. Instead, the alien goo formed solid digits and wove them between his fingers, holding his hand. It surprised him how subtle the symbiote was with what little Venom was doing. In the darkness he could barely see the alien’s dark hand holding his own.

But it was there. It held him – a strange sensation but also a surprisingly warm one – and he couldn't focus on the movie, not now.

Not when he was surprised by how nice this was, and the oddly tender waves rolling from _his_ symbiote into him.

_Venom?_

**_You were sad, Eddie. We were sad._** The hand around his squeezed a little tighter. **_You’re not alone now, Eddie. Never alone. I am here. You know that._**

_Yeah, sure, I know that,_ Eddie replied with his thoughts. _I just thought that, well, you wouldn't do something like this. That you wouldn’t …_ care _._

**_You're mine, Eddie. We care. You are important to us._ **

Eddie could think of so many ways that could be construed. He was Venom's host. Venom needed him strong and healthy and taken care of. This was nothing more than an extension of that. It was nothing.

But through their bond, it didn't feel like nothing. It felt like Venom was genuinely concerned for him. Like he _really_ cared about him and actually meant to comfort him, even though Eddie would’ve been fine without his help. Even though the loneliness wasn't anything new, and the ache in his chest an old, if unwanted, friend.

Eddie could feel it. And as unexpected and bizarre as this was … Eddie found himself holding the alien hand back. Felt that ache ease away as he focused on the energy that always lingered just below his skin. The energy that waited ever-ready to react and protect him.

All of this was still so weird and new, but he thought maybe it really wasn't so bad.

**_Did you see that, Eddie?_** Venom suddenly asked as the screen in front of them flashed. **_He ate that man's arm, but why the arm? The pancreas was right there. This is poor storytelling._**

_It's pretty dramatic though,_ Eddie replied, happy that no one could hear their conversation. A little amazed that they could have it at all. It was a room filled with people and no one knew. It was kinda thrilling, having a secret like this. _Maybe he's saving it for later?_

**_He left the body behind. No one was after him._** Venom scoffed. **_Should have eaten. What a waste._**

Eddie couldn't help but smile behind his free hand, his eyes on the screen even if his attention was on the alien hand in his.

As the movie progressed, Eddie couldn't say he knew anything about the plot, or the characters, or anything enough to make a judgment call on if the movie was even good or not. It had been too much fun listening to Venom provide commentary, ask questions, respond with outrage and confusion when something happened. Listen with growing amusement as Venom said Eddie's new favorite phrase.

**_That's not how it really is!_ **

Venom was turning this action/thriller/horror into a comedy so fast that Eddie had laughed out loud at inopportune moments, enough to make the woman beside him glare. Since then he'd had to struggle to keep himself from verbally responding. The symbiote's hold on his hand never let up, not once even now that Eddie was feeling better, and occasionally it gleamed as the light of the movie flashed across Venom's flesh.

The boy on the other side of him noticed, however, and was staring.

A shot of awareness, readiness, filled both him and Venom as they waited for the kid to do something. Would he point at Venom’s impossible hand? Would he scream? Would he tell his dad in the seat next to him? It wouldn't be a problem of course. Venom would just sink back into Eddie like he'd never existed, and Eddie would play dumb long enough for the boy's dad to write it off. It was a theater after all. Shadows played tricks on the eyes and mind.

Confusion crossed the boy's face as he continued to stare at his and Venom's joined hands, but instead of saying anything, the kid looked at his own, flexing it in the darkness. His face scrunched up, matching Eddie's own bewilderment, before he clasped his hand with his other in an awkward imitation of how Venom was holding Eddie’s.

A smile crossed the boy's face as he settled back down to watch the movie, holding his own hand in contentment.

_Well, that's cute._

**_That child would make a good host,_** Venom said. Eddie inwardly scoffed.

_No offense, but I wouldn't wish what we have on anyone. Least of all that kid._

A deep, rolling chuckle filled his mind as the hand in his constricted ever so slightly. **_You're lying, Eddie._**

_I'm not lying,_ Eddie replied. _If you haven't noticed, we almost get killed on a semi-regular basis. Not to mention if you're not compatible, well, you'll kill them. I got lucky._

**_It's more than that,_** Venom said. **_I know. You like the power. You like me. You like_ us _. You missed us when we were recovering. It thrilled you when I was with Anne, but you still_ wanted _me._**

Eddie frowned. This was one of the problems with the bond between them. Venom _knew_ , even when Eddie wanted to hide certain things from the symbiote. He'd thought he'd done a good job keeping this tiny little fact away from the alien, but he supposed that wasn't true. Venom was everywhere, and he couldn't hide from him.

What bothered Eddie more was if that truly bothered him or not, when he knew it _should_.

He couldn't help but be evasive, however. To try to lie, even if the lie went nowhere. Even if it was just something feeble to hide behind.

_Keep telling yourself that, buddy._

**_And keep lying, Eddie,_** the symbiote replied, perhaps a little smugly. **_But don't worry. I chose_ you _. You're mine, no one else. You don't need to worry._**

Eddie gave a faint snort and shook his head slightly. Venom was wrong.

That didn't mean he let Venom’s hand go.

The rest of the movie passed in companionable peace, and by the time the credits began rolling Eddie was up and out of his seat. He gave the kid a quick wink as Venom sunk back into his skin, much to the boy's stunned amazement and their amusement. It was dark out, but Eddie liked that and sucked in a deep breath of air. The night always called to that deep part of him, enticed him further.

He felt it resound within Venom, that wild bit of them both that made their partnership just that much stronger.

**_We're hungry,_** Venom said.

"You're always hungry," Eddie replied as he walked down the street, speaking out loud now that there was a little more space. More leeway for it.

**_We could look for bad people._** Venom shifted under his skin. **_The movie made me want to do things the right way. I want a pancreas._**

"And I want to just walk home in peace," Eddie said. "Remember, it's my night. I choose what we do."

The pouting Eddie could feel was palpable, but he wasn't budging on this. They shared the body. They had agreements. Lines and boundaries. The next time would be Venom's night, and he could already guess what that would entail. For now though, it was still his time.

**_Fine._** Venom's grumble rolled through him. **_Can we at least stop for some chocolate?_**

"I’m surprised we’re not turning _into_ chocolate," Eddie joked, not that he minded so much if this was the extent of the compromise. After all, Mrs. Chen's would still be open, and ever since they'd helped her with her little problem, she sometimes gave them a bit of extra chocolate after he paid, which Venom was always pleased about.

Pleasure and appreciation swam through their blood as Venom settled, contented. Warmth encompassed Eddie's hand.

"Uh, Venom," Eddie said.

**_Yes, Eddie._ **

"Why are you holding my hand again?"

**_Because we like it, Eddie._ **

Eddie shook his head, but he held it back anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can follow me for more of my Venom content on [my tumblr](https://symbrock-darling.tumblr.com/). I'm taking prompt requests there too, so if you have one, feel free to send an ask!


	5. Sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Venom falls asleep while Eddie's awake and the resulting sensation freaks Eddie out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't help thinking about a sleepy symbiote, and then I wondered what it might feel like for Eddie if Venom slept while he was awake, and then this happened. A slightly more serious tone, but I hope you'll like it.
> 
> Enjoy!

The first time Venom fell asleep while Eddie was still awake, Eddie panicked.

He'd been at the bar enjoying a beer, watching the news when a part of him abruptly fell away. Vanished. In that moment he'd damn near pissed himself trying to understand what had happened, and he'd blatantly ignored the sharp cry of outrage from the man next to him who'd been too close to the splash zone when he spilled his drink. Eddie all but thundered out of his seat, gripping his chest like that would somehow help.

"Hey," the bartender said. "You all right there, pal?"

"I have no idea," Eddie answered honestly before slamming money on the counter and rushing out into the San Francisco night. The panic was growing with every frantic step he took as searched until he found an alleyway he could duck into. The suddenness of the sensation made his heart pounded within his chest. His hands shook. Somehow he felt like he was only half-there. Half-real.

What the _hell_ was going on?

"Venom!" he whispered urgently into the enclosed darkness, pacing as he searched his mind for that phantom presence always nestled within him. "Venom, something's happening! I have no idea what's going on."

When the alien didn't promptly respond – because how could he not when _this_ was happening – Eddie tried again more forcefully, unconcerned that the man down the way was now staring at him like he was insane and hurrying away.

"Venom!"

Slowly the sensation of Venom moving within him, the alien’s mind brushing against Eddie's in drowsy curiosity, filled the bond. Just as slowly the sensation of half-there began to fade too.

**_What?_ **

"What?" Eddie echoed through clenched teeth. "What do you mean, what? I was in the bar, minding my own damn business and then suddenly-I don't know, _something_ happened." He scrubbed his face with his hands, trying to get control of himself and the panic still thick in his blood. "Venom, it was like I was only half-there!"

**_Oh,_** the symbiote said, voice still rolling and drowsy. **_That's all?_**

"That's all?" Frustrated, Eddie found a piece of broken mirror on the ground and glared at himself. He glared at Venom. "I almost pissed myself because I thought I was dying."

**_You weren't,_** Venom replied with a yawn. **_I was bored, and you weren't doing anything interesting. So I fell asleep._**

Latent anxiety filled Eddie with prickly energy and he shook the mirror, wishing he could shake the alien himself. "You fell _asleep_?"

**_You do it all the time. I saw no reason why I shouldn't either._ **

"I thought you slept when I slept, and it's never felt like that before."

**_Well, you've never been conscious to feel it,_** Venom pointed out. **_I don’t see the problem, Eddie._**

"I'm trying to understand why it felt like-like _that_!" Eddie burst out. "Like you were gone!"

That was it. That was the crux of it, he realized. It wasn't that he'd felt like half of him had abruptly died, or that he'd been half-there. Well, it was, but it was more than that and it made him stop in his tracks. He'd gotten so used to Venom's presence that when the alien had slept on his own, Eddie had felt it and panicked.

He'd been afraid.

Venom watched the stream of thoughts flood through Eddie’s mind with stoic silence. Eddie's heart was finally calming down, his hands weren't shaking anymore, and his breath was evening out, even if he still felt so far out of his depth.

**_Not gone. Just sleeping._** A tendril of black goo lifted from Eddie’s shoulder, and Venom's strange face stared at him. **"I wouldn't leave you, Eddie. Don't worry."**

Coming off the alarm of the freaky, non-human situation, Eddie wanted to snarl at Venom. To shout at the alien. He didn't like to be blindsided, and ever since Venom had latched onto him and his life, he felt like that was all that ever happened. Blindsided by this creature that shouldn't exist, in a bond that shouldn't be possible, living a life he'd never have been able to imagine even if he'd taken some high-grade hallucinogens.

Instead, Eddie sucked in a deep breath and leaned back against the alley wall. Venom watched him with searching white eyes before asking, **"Are you okay, Eddie?"**

"I'm fine," he said quietly. "It just startled me, is all. I didn't know you could sleep on your own, and I didn't know it would … it would feel like that. Everything's fine."

**"I'm still here, Eddie, even when I'm asleep. You can still feel me then, with more practice. As our bond continues to strengthen. Honestly, Eddie, I didn’t think it would bother you."**

Eddie scoffed. "Yeah? And why's that?"

**"Because I would be asleep. It leaves you more independent until you need me."** Venom shrugged. **"It's nothing you haven't felt before. It's the same sensation you grew up with. Before me. I thought you'd realize that and be relieved."**

That feeling of half-there had been what he'd felt all his life? _That_ was what it felt like to be normal? Eddie couldn't believe it. He didn't believe it.

Venom nudged memories into his mind, and reluctantly Eddie examined them. They weren't anything special. He'd lived through them, so he knew them all, and the alien hadn't chosen anything embarrassing or horrible. In fact, they were moments in his life when Eddie had felt independent. His own being. Alone but not lonely.

His jaw almost dropped when he realized Venom was right. What he'd felt in the bar had been nothing more than him by himself. Normal, or at least more normal. Normal, before Venom.

And what struck him was how much it had scared him. Being bonded to Venom, he knew there were changes – he could turn into a massive black monster and eat entire bodies, and that was just the tip of the iceberg – but he hadn't thought they'd also be so subtle. So deep, and primal.

How deep had Venom sunk into him, and how far had Eddie been willing to let the symbiote do it? How far was Eddie still going to let it go?

**"Eddie?"** Venom asked when Eddie had been quiet for a long time, long enough that he could feel the creep of worry starting to nag at the alien.

He stared at Venom. "You change everything, don't you?"

It was like he'd struck the symbiote, and Venom flinched away, eyes narrowing. **"I'm not leaving, Eddie. You're mine. _We_ are Venom. I thought after all of this you had accepted that. I help you, Eddie. I enhance. I make you better, stronger. I make _us_ strong."**

"I know," Eddie said. "I just had no idea how deep this went."

**"As deep as it goes, Eddie. We are bonded in all ways."** Venom's eyes narrowed again. **"And I will not constantly sleep to pander to your human needs—"**

"I don't want you to."

With how much Venom could talk, it was more than a little satisfying to watch Venom's jaw drop.

**"What?"**

"I freaked out because you'd decided to take a _nap_ ," Eddie admitted. "For good or bad, Venom, I've gotten used to you. I don't want you to go, and besides, where would you go? You'd kill anyone else simply because you're not compatible and it would only be a matter of time before you came back and bonded with me again whether I liked it or not."

Silence.

**"I … don't understand what you're saying, Eddie,"** Venom said. **"I thought you would want to be by yourself without me."**

"Sometimes I do. Usually you're the biggest pain in my ass. It's hard to get through the day without remembering fondly what it was like to have my mind be all my own. But like I said, I've gotten used to you. You really freaked me out when you kinda fell away like that."

**"I didn't think my presence had such an effect on you."**

"I hadn't either," Eddie said. "But, well, you do. And honestly, I guess I kinda like having you around. You aren't so bad."

Venom was silent for a long time, his face tilting slightly as if considering Eddie differently. As if he was seeing a different side of him.

Eddie sure was.

**"Would you prefer we sleep together from now on?"** Unable to stop himself, Eddie chuckled, the strange moment shifting. Venom made a face. **"What?"**

"It's nothing, buddy," Eddie replied with a small smile as he pushed himself up and away from the wall. "You should sleep whenever you feel like you need to. I was just startled is all. But it probably would be easier on me if we both sleep, uh, at the same time."

**"Together."**

"Well, yeah," Eddie said, running a hand through his hair. "Together."

Venom's smile widened, revealing every tooth. **"Then we will sleep together,"** Venom flowed closer to his face, grin firmly in place. **"And I will let you know when I am about to sleep on my own, so you are not surprised. But you will have to do other things to keep me engaged to prevent that, Eddie. The bar is boring, and the alcohol does nothing for me."**

"Even more of a reason to go home now I guess," Eddie replied, although he was relieved by their compromise no matter how much Venom teased. That's what everything between himself and his symbiote had come down to. Mistakes and compromises. “We could both use some sleep.”

**"No, Eddie."** Venom's grin turned enterprising and wicked. **"We're hungry. That would be fun. It would keep us awake."**

"No offense, but you feel pretty awake already right now."

**"I could sleep."**

Even though it was an idle threat, a tiny part of Eddie squeezed, and he knew Venom felt it. Still, he shook his head at the symbiote.

"I mean, really, Vee. We get into enough trouble, and you eat enough. It's only a matter of time before we attract more attention, and between us, I really don't want to have to deal with the Avengers."

Venom snorted. **"We could take them."**

Eddie walked out of the alley and down the street, back toward home. And maybe there would be some danger if he took the right paths. Just to keep Venom awake, of course.

"They have a god on their team, buddy. And that green monster, the Hulk. Not to mention Captain America."

Venom sank back into his skin. **_We could take them._**

"I like your ambition, but how about we stick to the thugs we've got here. Besides, they're good guys. We don't fight or eat good guys remember?"

**_But are they_ ** **always _good, Eddie?_**

"Well," Eddie said with a shrug. "Who really knows?"

**_So we could fight them._ **

"Venom."

**_And we could eat them._ **

"Maybe you should go back to sleep after all."

Venom snorted again and Eddie felt the alien shift within him. Around him.

**_Not when you don't want me to, Eddie._ **

Eddie sighed. He walked into that one he guessed. But then again, Venom wasn't wrong.

And really, after that half-there feeling, half-alive feeling, well ... he was kinda thankful Venom was staying awake for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can follow me for more of my Venom content on [my tumblr](https://symbrock-darling.tumblr.com/). I'm taking prompt requests there too, so if you have one, feel free to send an ask!


	6. Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie and Venom are caught in a fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are again! This piece is a bit more serious than the others and Eddie does get burned in this. It's nothing graphic, but I thought I'd mention it up front here. It ends well, though. 
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!

Although Venom was able to protect Eddie from almost everything, after Drake and Riot they were acutely aware of the symbiote's weaknesses, even if Venom swore they would never get into situations like those again. Eddie, of course, knew better. Despite Venom's near invulnerability, they were still very careful of sound and fire. So long as he had Venom riding along, he'd never go anywhere near an MRI again, and since the explosion, Eddie had become sensitive to the alien's wants and desires. His needs. His fears and hesitations.

It made sense that Venom was particularly cautious when he saw fire, after almost burning away trying to save Eddie's life. Fires weren't very common, but that didn't mean the symbiote didn't keep his attention carefully on candles when they were nearby or matches though fires like those wouldn't do nearly the amount of damage that had almost killed him.

But to ease Venom, Eddie quietly went out of his way to avoid the true dangers. No loud noises. No fireplaces. Guns, heights, excessive amount of water on the other hand were all A-Okay.

He couldn't plan for everything though.

All things considered, he was kind of surprised this hadn't happened sooner, given how active he was as a reporter and Venom was at being, well, Venom. Danger was a bit of a drug – for who more, Eddie couldn't quite say. One fed the other, and soon both were feeding into it, and it would never be long before they were eyeballs deep in some new shitshow. It was always safe stuff though. Situations both he and Venom could walk away from.

It was tough to do now, unfortunately, when they were stuck in an old, dilapidated house that was quickly burning down around them.

To be fair, it wasn't their fault. Mostly. They'd tracked down a couple of sleazy murderers here, and Eddie for one would've been happy for Venom to eat them already and be done with it. But Venom was Venom. Turned out he enjoyed playing with his food, letting his meal get riled up enough to fight. And the threats they posed hadn't been bad. A couple of knives, a few dozen bullets. Nothing too out of the ordinary.

Neither of them had expected to deal with a homemade flamethrower, and that was when things got bad. Venom had already taken care of the first asshole, but the second sprayed flaming aerosol at them, which predictably caused them to leap back. Unfortunately, the fire caught the multitude of newspapers and magazines laying around, along with all the trash that had littered the place and the inferno quickly spread. The only luck they got was that the bastard who'd started the mess caught fire himself and soon wasn't their problem anymore.

But they couldn't get out.

Venom writhed over Eddie where he stayed cocooned and untouchable for the moment, but the alien's memories were flooding his own. Memories of all the fires it had ever encountered in its existence. The close calls. Near misses. The fireball Venom had become just to keep Eddie alive, and the pure desperation he'd had doing it. The sharp edge of panic was turning the alien desperate as path after path closed to them.

They were running out of time, and Venom would burn. They would die.

_Let me out,_ Eddie suddenly said, pressing against Venom's control. _Let me out!_

**"It's not safe!"** Venom roared, clinging to him tightly as they continued to back into a corner. Smoke filled the air and it was getting harder for them to breathe, but that didn't matter.

_Of course it's not safe!_ Eddie shouted back. _But unlike you, I'm not going to immediately flame on. It's going to take time for me to fully burn. If we're going to get out of this, I've gotta do it!_

**"But Eddie, I won't be able to protect you—"**

_Because I'll be the one protecting you!_ Surprise shot through their body and Eddie took full advantage of it. _You're not the only one here, Vee. I am too. We're bonded and that means we're a team. We look after each other._

**"But Eddie—"**

_And that's what I'm going to do!_ Eddie yelled over Venom, mind set as anger flashed through his blood. _Now shut up and let me do this. We can yell at each other later._

Whatever Venom might have said next was promptly ignored as Eddie blatantly forced Venom back inside where it was safe so he could take the lead and full control of the body. This was his show now, and he was damn-well going to dance.

The heat inundated him. It was the first thing he noticed. When he was masked by Venom, his personal perception of the outside world changed to accommodate Venom. Although he was aware of everything Venom felt, his individual sense of it was dulled, in a sense. Changed. Protected.

He wasn't protected now, and the heat was worse than he'd thought. His lungs filled and ached with it, making him feel constricted and craving a simple cool breeze.

**_Eddie!_ **

Eddie wasn't listening, not when it was all he could do to shield his eyes, crouch low, and move. The flames licked at him from all sides, blinding him, threatening to trick him and lead him astray. Deep within his body Venom watched, sending what impressions he could to help Eddie, even as Eddie held him tight inside where it was safest.

Eddie began to burn.

His hair crackled and snapped as strands caught alight and singed all the way to the roots, and his clothing was burning almost too quickly to strip off in time. The pain was horrible, his skin was charring. Eddie knew it was bad, but he didn't look. Couldn't afford to look because it would distract him and right now he _couldn't_ afford to be distracted. Not when he was slowly finding a path. Not when the way was opening up. Not when he'd just caught a breath of cool, fresh air and the sound of firetruck sirens was just outside, beyond the flames.

If he stopped now to think of the pain, to even acknowledge it, he'd be done. They'd be done. He'd told Venom he could do this.

And Eddie wasn't going to let him down now.

The fire parted for the briefest moment, and it was all Eddie needed. With a scream he threw himself forward, flaming bits and all, and found himself on the dead lawn with the house a torch in the night behind them. Memories flooded his mind – whether prompted by himself or Venom, he didn't know – but a childhood spent with the phrase 'stop, drop, and roll' ensured that was exactly what he did. The blaze of pain wasn't helped by the addition of dirt to already furious wounds, but at least he wasn't a candle anymore. He wasn't burning anymore.

And Venom wouldn't either.

Figures neared him, but as he blinked the fire out of his vision, he realized that there was a massive crowd around the house and him and his charred body. The last thing he needed right now were the eyes of others. The last thing he needed was their help.

What he needed, he realized, was Venom. And they needed to be alone.

Eddie stumbled to his feet, half-mad with pain but determined nonetheless.

"Sir?" A fireman said as he rushed to him. "Sir, I need you to stop and stay calm."

"Don't touch us!" Eddie yelled when gloved hands reached toward him. "Stay away from us!"

The scent of his own seared flesh filled his nose, and although the fire was out and they were away from the house, pain still raged across his nerves. Filled him with agony the likes of which he'd never felt before. He'd been right, he wouldn't burn as quickly as Venom would, but Venom was still a part of him. Their bodies were still one, and at a biological level it seemed that the burn was twice as bad.

It hurt more than anything he'd ever experienced.

"Sir, I need you to stay calm," the fireman said again. "You're severely burned. We need to get you to a hospital."

**_Run, Eddie,_** Venom suddenly said. **_Run!_**

And Eddie ran.

The rags on his body rubbed badly against his abused flesh, and he didn't want to think about the state of his feet. He could feel something flopping as he ran, but he had no idea if it was the sole of his shoe or the bottom of his foot. Footsteps and yelling chased after him, but luckily Venom was driving him on, boosting his speed. The instant Eddie plunged into the shadows, the symbiote took control back and masked him.

The pain dulled as Venom's goo blissfully covered every inch of his body, and in seconds they were surging away from the fire. Neither said a thing, but they didn't need to when all they needed were flashes of emotion, crisp thoughts, the driving force of need. They sailed through the darkness, seeking a haven, and only stopped once they'd found a dark secluded park.

Venom dropped them to the ground where they were shrouded in a copse of trees. Their chest heaved, their heart still raced, but they were both very much alive and the damage Eddie had suffered to get them out of that firepit was already healing. He could feel the wounds slowly mend, the pain fading away and Eddie knew it was done only when Venom receded. His new skin felt particularly sensitive to the soft breeze brushing against it, but Eddie hardly cared.

He stared at Venom who'd formed his face and was staring back.

Eddie couldn't think of a time – other than after finding Venom still alive after the Drake incident – that he'd ever felt more relieved. Couldn't think of a time when he was so glad to see Venom's ugly mug again.

**"Thank you,"** Venom said quietly. **"No one's ever protected me before."**

"Couldn't let anything happen to you, buddy," Eddie huffed as he continued to catch his breath. "Not again. Won't let it happen again. Not to us. Not if I could help it."

**"But you were severely hurt, Eddie."**

"I figured you could heal me after," Eddie lied. He hadn’t thought that at all. He'd only been concerned with getting Venom to safety. That had been the full extent of his thoughts. The fact that Venom _had_ healed him afterward was a very happy bonus. "See? I'm useful for something too."

**"You are my host, Eddie. If you die, we die. It's my job to protect you."**

"Are we gonna have this talk again? We're together in this, Vee. That means we work _together_. You've got strengths and weaknesses, I've got strengths and weaknesses. We use what we've got."

**"But I hadn't thought you would."**

Eddie's eyes had closed, savoring the darkness, but they opened again to lock with Venom's white ones.

"Why not?"

**"Because, Eddie. I know."** Venom looked away. **"You don’t need _us_ to survive. You could live without me, but I need you. You could have let me burn. You could have had your life back."**

"I really doubt I'd have been able to have my life back with the types of burns I got just getting out, Vee. We almost died." He frowned at the symbiote. "Venom, you really think I'd have sacrificed you?"

**"Others have tried. You yourself did not want me. Us."**

"That was before," Eddie sighed. "You were just this thing that had rammed into my life and destroyed everything and made me eat really weird food. Of course I wanted you gone."

**"And you don't now?"**

"Honestly?" Eddie said. "I'm not sure. But I know I don't want you to die. You should be able to feel that."

Venom fell silent, hanging in front of Eddie and all the while he could feel the alien sifting through his thoughts and memories, testing moods and emotions, and Eddie was too beat to care to hide anything. If he was hiding anything at all.

Eddie felt the instant Venom found whatever he was looking for, and a strange sort of awe slipped out of the symbiote.

**"You're telling the truth."**

"Come on, now," Eddie said with a faint grin. "Don't tell me you're about to get sappy on me."

**"I'm not getting sappy!"** Venom exclaimed. **"I'm just ... surprised."**

"Well, it's true buddy."

A gust of wind filtered past him and although it felt amazing – maybe the best thing he'd ever felt in his life – it also felt different, and he noticed for the first time how drafty his head was. Bewildered, and then dismayed, his fingers splayed across the smooth skin of his scalp and then over his naked jawline where not even a hint of stubble was left.

"Oh, my God."

**"Uh, yeah. It's pretty bad. You’re like a hairless rat,"** Venom said before pressing an image of what he saw into Eddie's mind. Eddie made a face. He was completely hairless. He didn't even have eyebrows, for crying out loud.

"You couldn't have brought my hair back too?"

**"That's what you're worried about?"** Venom scoffed before he said reluctantly, **"The best I can do is speed up the hair growth. It has to come in on its own."**

"Well, at least it grows quick enough. Hopefully it'll be back to normal soon. God." He pressed his fingers into his eyes then sighed when he looked down. "Shit," Eddie breathed, staring down at himself and the rags that were sure to get him picked up by the police for indecent exposure. "I need to find new clothes."

**“No need,”** Venom said. **“I'll be your clothes.”**

"What?"

Venom didn't answer, not when he could show, and Eddie watched in fascination as his body was once again blanketed in a wave of the alien’s glistening black substance. It wasn't a full mask, however. Instead, he watched as Venom smoothed himself around his body, thinning here, thickening there, layering. The symbiote covered his feet and hardened, hung effortlessly over his shoulders and blanketed his legs, and soon he was in the same outfit he'd left the apartment in this morning, even if it felt nothing alike. Whereas his clothing had been soft and well-worn, familiar from repeated use, Venom felt like he always did, a layer of warmth and life, even if he didn't look it.

"Wow," Eddie breathed, staring down at himself, checking that the clothing _actually_ looked real, even if it all felt distinctly like Venom. "Nifty trick, pal. I might never have to buy clothes again if you can do this."

**I’d prefer it, Eddie,** Venom said. **I'd be more readily available. It would be easier to protect us if I was like this.**

After the night they’d had the last thing he wanted to do was talk about the possibility of Venom being his clothes full-time. He was tired. The adrenaline was leaving his system and all he wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep for a week. He stood and pulled up the hood Venom had made.

"Gotta admit, it would be convenient, but how about we talk about it later. For now," Eddie sighed. "I don't know about you, but I think I'm done tonight. Let's go home, huh?"

**_Yes,_** Venom agreed, holding Eddie's body a little more tightly. As if the alien couldn't bear to let him go, especially after the close call. **_Yes. Let's go home._**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can follow me for more of my Venom content on [my tumblr](https://symbrock-darling.tumblr.com/). I'm taking prompt requests there too, so if you have one, feel free to send an ask!


	7. Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Venom has nightmares and Eddie sees them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are with the final piece of this little collection. Wow. I had a lot of fun writing them, and I hope you've enjoyed reading them. These started off as a small challenge to get a feel of the characters and the very beginnings of their relationship, and now I'm excited to see what other stories I'll write for them. Keep an eye out!
> 
> Thank you for reading, and enjoy!

After Drake and the Life Foundation, Eddie had to admit that life was almost normal, which really was a relief. Not as many people were shooting at him, not as many explosions. No mad-man trying to destroy the world.

One of the downsides – well, maybe not _down_ per se – was now that everything had settled and he and Venom weren't running for their lives as if attached to a high-octane missile, there was time. Time to breathe and figure each other out. Understand their bond.

Time for more of Venom's little quirks as a symbiote sharing his body to start coming out and making themselves known.

As if Eddie hadn't still had trouble adjusting to the fact that he had no privacy now for literally _anything_ in his life, or the fact that Venom could fight him for control of his body if he wanted, there were other things. Subtler things.

The most obvious of them was the gnawing hunger, but luckily that was one of the more easily – if gruesome – bits to manage. Much as he didn't like to think of it as hunting, his instincts as a reporter meant he could track down a bad guy faster than a fly to stink. It settled the hunger and sated Venom, thankfully, but it was there in some measure. Always there, when it might go away for a time when he'd just been eating for one.

There were other things that changed. His physical awareness, as Venom subtly alerted him to threats or interests with non-verbal cues. His physical boldness, since with Venom it was very hard for anyone to hurt him. At least, they couldn't do any lasting damage so long as he and Venom were careful of sound and fire.

The one that struck Eddie most, however, were the dreams.

Eddie couldn't help it. All of this had been done to _him_. Venom had invaded him. Sunk into him and used him as a host without his permission until the alien had convinced him he wasn’t such a parasite and he had whatever the alien equivalent of a soul was, and the only thing left to do was let the symbiote in for a more permanent stay. Venom really wasn't that bad now that things had calmed down. But with so much of his life upturned, Eddie couldn't help but think that most of it was about him since he was the human. He was the host. It was _his_ body they shared. Sure, he knew it was really about Venom. How could it not be, when Venom was an alien?

But it was easy to forget Venom had an equal stake in Eddie’s life. That he had a life of his own, one before Eddie.

The dreams Eddie dreamed at night when they both slept weren't only his.

It took him a long time to realize it at first. He'd thought it was all formless, confusing psychobabble, and Venom hadn't said anything otherwise. They weren't even nightmares either, at least at first. Just color. Tactile sensations. A confusion of intentions, his and Venom's and others he didn't understand. The hunger, of course the hunger. All of it mixed seamlessly with his own more familiar dreams.

Then one night he'd become lucid in the dream, and the clarity which it brought made him realize that these dreams weren't really his, but Venom's.

He didn't have the imagination for any of it, if he could make sense of it at all.

Eddie saw things there, alien things. He saw an entire civilization of symbiotes. Gooey and colorful. Different and incredible as they were horrifying. Eddie watched as time fast-forward and a collection of the symbiotes invaded a world, bonded with hosts, ate and took what they could before moving on to another place. Letting host after host buoy them along. Support them and their growth.

He watched civilizations rise. He watched them fall. He watched Venom through it all, different in every host but still that strange glossy black. Still those strange white eyes. Still that rage of teeth embedded in a permanent smile. Still that unending hunger, and a deep need for something else. Something more.

It was all horrible. It was all fascinating.

And then Earth. And then him. Eddie watched as Venom took him as a host, but this time the symbiote didn't fight Riot. They worked together. Drake succeeded. An army of symbiotes invaded Earth and it both rose with the symbiotes before falling. Collapsing. Leaving everything dead and the aliens moved on again.

Eddie saw himself die.

He saw Venom die.

**"This is what would have happened,"** Venom said, and Eddie was surprised to find Venom standing beside him, big and muscular as he would be if they’d masked. **"This is what Riot wanted."**

"Well, gotta say," Eddie said. "I'm glad it didn't happen." He eyed his bloody, broken body laying on the ground. "Really glad."

**"I do not like this dream,"** Venom said quietly. **"Everything goes wrong. We do not survive."**

Eddie eyed Venom. "I saw that."

**"Yes,"** Venom agreed. **"But it isn't the worst."**

A scoff slipped out of Eddie’s lips as he looked around the wasteland. "What's worse than this?"

**"You die, Eddie,"** Venom replied without looking at him. **"And I don't."**

Eddie had to admit he hadn't been expecting that. This alien symbiote had incredible abilities. Could do just about anything it wanted when it had a host. It was sometimes hard to believe that he would matter at all to it. It was sometimes hard to believe Venom chose _him_.

"It didn't happen that way, Vee," Eddie said. "I'm still here. We did it and stopped the invasion. None of this is real."

**"And yet, this is what haunts my dreams."** Surprisingly vulnerable white eyes glanced his way. **"It's always the same."**

"Then why don't you change it?" Eddie asked, looking around. "You're lucid. We're talking and having this truly, uh, lovely conversation right now." He shrugged. "You can change all of this if you wanted."

**"I've never been like this before. My kind is able to dream, but we are not able to become … aware in them, let alone control them."**

"Then how are you able to now? Shouldn't I be stomping all over your dreams then?" As amusing as the idea was initially, just a glance at Venom told him that the last thing he wanted to be was Venom's new nightmare. It sometimes surprised him just how … sensitive the symbiote could be.

It was relieving in a way. Emotional. Almost human.

Venom stared around at the dreamscape, considering. **"It must be you, Eddie. I’m not the only one with talents."**

"I guess." Eddie puffed his cheeks for a moment, considering, before he lifted his hand and banished the doompocolypse filling Venom's – their – heads. It slipped away like a giant eraser had stroked through. No burning buildings. No dead bodies. No other symbiotes. No dead them. "Well, since we're lucid, what do you want to dream about?"

Venom immediately perked up.

**"Food. Fighting."** It seemed impossible to Eddie, but somehow Venom's mouth split wider. Maybe that was just the dream, but it made him feel better that his alien was getting into a better mood. **"We can do anything here, while we're dreaming?"**

"Yeah, that's kinda the point."

**"Dream up an army for us to fight, all of them bad,"** Venom supplied. **"We'll have a contest. Whoever eats the most, wins."**

Eddie chuckled. "And here I thought you were going to try for a pile of bodies and a pile of heads again." He shook his head but rubbed his hands together, thinking. "But if that's what you want, I guess we've got ourselves a competition, though personally I'm not going to eat them. Have at though, if that makes you happy."

**"I will win, Eddie,"** Venom said excitedly, crouching and ready, long black fingers spread. **"Your puny body will not be able to keep up with mine."**

"Venom, it's my dream too. And I can do whatever I want in it."

A field manifested around them, he and Venom on one side and an army of Drakes and Riots – and anyone who'd ever rubbed Eddie wrong really – stood prepared to attack.

**"Well?"** Venom said. **"If this is your dream, what do you intend to do?"**

"You know, I've always wondered what it's like to be Thor."

He pointed at the sky then pointed at a Riot. A bolt of lightning struck the alien instantly, knocking over several Drakes in the process. Eddie blew the tip of his finger.

"That's seven. Better get to work, or I'm going to win this. That means when we wake up I choose breakfast, and it's going to be at that diner. Eggs and bacon and maybe some pancakes to go with it."

The look of alarm that flashed across Venom's face was too much.

**"You said nothing about breakfast, Eddie!"**

"Well it won't matter to you, will it?" he said before he finger-gunned the line of dream enemies, lightning striking where he aimed. "I'm pulling ahead buddy. Can you taste that bacon yet?"

A snarl burst out of Venom's mouth before he loped forward, a harsh, **"No fair, Eddie!"** following after him.

Eddie couldn't help but laugh as he ran too. The army of Drakes and Riots roared forward to meet them, and as intent as he was on ensuring that bacon was on the menu instead of several bars of chocolate, he was more interested in the flood of emotion swelling out from Venom to crash into him. How it had turned from the somber mood he'd never seen Venom experience to the more violent but free one he currently enjoyed as he tore through opponents left and right like a black plague.

Eddie wasn't sure when Venom's happiness had become important to him, but he surprised himself to find that it was. And he was happy that if this was a way to do it, then he'd gladly save the goo from his nightmares.

That didn't mean he wasn't serious about the bacon though, and with a grin and a shout, the game was on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can follow me for more of my Venom content on [my tumblr](https://symbrock-darling.tumblr.com/). I'm taking prompt requests there too, so if you have one, feel free to send an ask!


End file.
